Punctuality
by vehementvenom
Summary: "It's quite beautiful, isn't it? So exotic and unlike the others."


**Punctuality**

At the sight of the strange flower sticking out from all the others around it, Glinda had the urge to take it and hold it in her hands; she skipped forward, distancing herself from Elphaba, Nessarose and Nanny, gracefully bent down and picked it.

The girl continued walking some steps ahead of her companions, mindlessly examining her acquisition: the petals were a bright orange, fading into a brilliant golden toward the edges, and there were a few thorns here and there along the silky-feeling green stem. It reminded her of something – someone, – of a rainy night many months before; oh, yes, the colors matched the ones on that silly hat and the spikes suited her personality entirely –

"If only you would dedicate yourself so thoroughly to your studies as you seemingly do to admiring botany, I'm fairly certain your attempts at levitating other people's lunches would end up in more _levitation_ and less _exploding_ in their faces," came a voice that suddenly appeared at her side, as if the mere thought of Elphaba had summoned her somehow.

Glinda turned to her with a look that denoted a slight, albeit completely false annoyance at her friend's playful (was it really? Even after all this time, she could never really tell with Elphaba) observation.

"Oh, Elphie," she replied, linking their arms and pointing at her roommate teasingly with her flower. "And maybe, if you gave your studies a little _less_ attention, you'd be a little less _botanical_ yourself!"

"But then," Elphaba responded, amused, "you would run out of odd floral subjects to admire, my sweet, and would be forced to apply yourself to something else either way."

"_Thorns,_" Glinda thought, smiling, and started plucking petals idly.

Still entertained with the "resemblance" between the plant and the girl beside her, she took one of the orange and golden leaves, held it up at eye-level for some seconds and then threw it at Elphaba; after gently colliding with her nose, a light breeze swept it placidly away to the ground, a token of such rare frolicsome moments.

Nanny unknowingly stomped on it soon after, trying to accompany Nessa and keep up with her other two charges, calling to them as to not wander too far.

"I haven't seen any like it before," Elphaba stated.

"Neither have I," Glinda remarked, handsomely disposing herself of another petal. "It's quite beautiful, isn't it? So exotic and unlike the others."

"And you've decided to yank all of its beauty regardless –"

"It sort of reminds me of you, you know?" Glinda cut her off.

"... I reiterate my statement," Elphaba replied, unperturbed. "Though you needn't bother with pulling them all anymore; you've already ruined its whole existence anyway."

"Sweet Oz, Elphie," Glinda seemed a little taken aback by the comment. "There's hardly any need for you to be so dramatic – such a choice of words!"

"Well, one could say you killed it on sight... So much for being different."

Glinda shot her a long, curious glance, locking her youthful blue eyes into Elphaba's burning browns. An instant of silence transpired between the two girls, whilst the world continued to spin: the birds chirped, the boys jumped into the Suicide Canal and Nessarose and Nanny had a heated debate about lurlinistic rituals and how they were an affront to the Unnamed God (or rather, Nessa scolded as Nanny piqued her).

Finally, the blond girl picked the last remaining petal and carelessly rid herself of it, as if it now seemed repulsing to her. Elphaba found it a bit uncharacteristic of Glinda but didn't flinch, instead just observing as her friend studied the now naked green stem.

"They're just foolish gimmicks, aren't they, Elphie?" she said, still focused on what was left of her flower. "And, despite it all, even devoid of them, it's still different."

"Very. Now it's just ugly as well."

"No, I think you're wrong..." Glinda replied, looking up at her companion again. "I think it's even more beautiful now."

"What an uncanny conclusion, Miss Glinda. And what a quick change of heart as well," Elphaba offered her an awkward smile.

"And just in the nick of time," was her answer, as Glinda lightly brushed the prickly stem over her smooth, pink, smiling lips and snugged a little closer to Elphaba, while they led the way back to Crage Hall under the tender heat of a setting sun.

* * *

**A/N: **_So, hi. Making my debut around here, meaning this is the first fanfiction I've ever published and, coincidentally, also my first Wicked fic. Any thoughts? Love it, hate it, I'd love to hear all about it._


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